NEW THIS MORNING: Firefighters put out flames at two Wilmington homes

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Firefighters are still on the scene of two different house fires that sparked early this morning as investigators work to find what caused the two blazes.

Wilmington fire crews say flames at the first home at 129 Windemere Road were called in around 4:30 a.m., after they say two people who were sleeping inside the home when it started safely escaped. When firefighters got to the scene, Battalion Chief Smith with WFD says flames were already fully involved. He says crews knocked out the fire, and that no one was hurt.

Smith says he had to leave that scene, which is just off of Eastwood Road, to respond to another fire a few hours later in Pine Valley Estates. Firefighters say a vacant home at 417 Pettigrew Drive was also up in flames when crews arrived. Smith says the home had been unoccupied for about a week, and that investigators are looking into what caused the fire there.

No one was hurt in either fire, according to Smith, who says the estimated amount of damage to both homes is roughly about $40,000. He says investigators should know more by mid-morning today.